Joel Engardio, a candidate for the West of Twin Peaks District 7 - is an independent willing to talk about untouchable topics ranging from reforming rent control to curbing runaway pension costs.

He would be a worthy successor to Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, City Hall's astute fiscal hawk.

The district might be the city's most moderate. Engardio, a former journalist and documentary filmmaker, promises to be a sharp-eyed advocate for residents concerned about city spending and basic services.

Three candidates enter the race with decidedly higher public profiles. F.X. Crowley, a born-and-bred native, has ample experience at the juncture of labor, politics and development. Businessman Mike Garcia offers himself as a good fit for the thrifty home-owning district. But Garcia's campaign has displayed a recklessness with the facts - especially in his attacks on Norman Yee - that do not suggest he would be an effective or collegial supervisor.

Yee, a former school board president, is a low-key politician whose campaign platform is a roster of tame ideas that show none of the boldness or specificity offered by Engardio.

Engardio lacks the money and high-profile endorsements of Crowley and Garcia, but he is rich with ideas and a commitment to bold steps on everything from scaling back rent control protection for upper-income tenants to addressing mental health issues as a core factor in homelessness to insisting on the sustainability of retiree benefits. He would be a solid advocate for creating housing and jobs. He comes across as a focused policy wonk with no patience for the frivolous fights that too often provide "easy material for Jon Stewart."

District 7 residents would be fortunate to have Joel Engardio as their representative.